Yuan Yi said, “Don’t worry, I’m a human, I naturally eat less, and I’m not easily hungry.”

He then smiled, “You’re my brother, I thank you for protecting me before. In the future, those Beggar Sect people might still bully me, so I can’t let you starve!”

The ape, however, opened its mouth and spat out the food it had been chewing, placing it in its palm and offering it to Yuan Yi.

Yuan Yi waved his hand, “No need, no need.”

But his Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

The ape insisted, taking a step forward and offering its palm in front of Yuan Yi’s mouth, even letting out a call.

“Hehe, then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Yuan Yi’s eyes reddened as he cupped the ape’s hand and lowered his head, quickly eating up the last bit of leftovers.

“Delicious, so delicious!” Yuan Yi laughed. He was skin and bones, his clothes borrowed from others and ill-fitting, coupled with his disheveled appearance, making him look like a human-ape.

The ape also laughed, chattering noisily.

The man and the ape were immersed in happiness.

“Uncle Dasheng, Uncle Dasheng…”

Finally, Yuan Er awakened the ape.

The moment it opened its eyes, the ape almost mistook Yuan Er for its old master, as the father and son were so alike.

The ape’s vision cleared, and suddenly its nose twitched, its brow furrowing immediately.

It smelled a very unpleasant odor.

Yuan Er swallowed hard, hurriedly explaining.

The ape heard only a fraction of it before standing up and walking out of the tent.

It was over ten feet tall, its robust frame resembling a war elephant. The scars all over its body were its badges of honor, demonstrating its countless victories.

“Greetings, Monkey Lord!”

The elders all bowed in respect.

The ape didn’t even glance at them, focusing only on the monkey corpses on the ground. After a short silence, it suddenly raised its head and let out a furious roar.

The roar was deafening, the sonic wave generated by it directly knocking down many of the elders.

Yuan Dasheng’s eyes turned red, he was truly enraged!

The elders were all covered in cold sweat.

Yuan Er deliberately lingered behind, finding the elders’ obsequious appearance extremely gratifying.

He then hurried forward, “Uncle Monkey, Uncle Monkey, with such a big thing happening, we will definitely investigate the truth and severely punish the culprit!”

Yuan Dasheng slowly quieted down, lowered his head to look at Yuan Er, whose familiar face gradually calmed it.

It slowly extended a finger, gently tapping Yuan Er’s chest.

Yuan Er’s heart raced, he took a small step back, nodding hastily, “Uncle Monkey, trust me, I definitely won’t let you down!”

“But currently, the gang is facing a major crisis. We must perform our best at the Fire Persimmon Festival.”

“Now, manpower is severely lacking, we can only rely on you, Uncle Monkey.”

“Please conserve your strength during this time. You are our pillar of support!”

Yuan Dasheng remained silent, slowly walking back, entering the tent, and disappearing from everyone’s sight.

Yuan Er looked at the elders sprawled on the ground, a smile appearing on his face, as he waved his sleeve and said, “All of you, get up.”

Following this, the elders complied with every assignment he made.

Once he left, the elders began to communicate in secret.

“Yuan Er relies on the monkey’s power; does he still have any semblance of a gang leader?” someone scoffed.

“Monkey Lord didn’t get angry and kill anyone; his temper has lessened.”

“What? You want him to go berserk?”

“I’m saying, is it possible that he’s already old, his state is declining, and he’s just outwardly strong?” a ambitious elder pondered.

The oldest elder, upon hearing this, let out a disdainful snort in his heart, turning and leaving.

The other elders hadn’t seen it, but he had personally witnessed Yuan Dasheng’s combat during a gang operation to explore the Scarlet Flame Demon Melt Cave.

“That Fire Serpent’s combat strength was comparable to a half-step Golden Core realm!”

“But in the end, it was torn apart by Yuan Dasheng…”

“Although Yuan Dasheng has entered old age, his combat strength is terrifying. He definitely has innate talent, at least of the upper grade.”

“The lack of cultivation methods is his greatest regret, but it’s also my gang’s greatest fortune!”

Birdsong was close at hand.

Ning Zhuo was interrupted from his slumber and opened his eyes.

Awakening him was a mechanical parrot, a single-character staff head inserted into the parrot’s back.

It was precisely the staff head that controlled it, allowing it to call out at regular intervals, waking Ning Zhuo.

“It’s almost time.” Ning Zhuo immediately sensed the mark on his chest and his soul entered the Immortal Palace.

He quickly constructed a puppet body and continuously challenged the levels.

Along the way, he discovered slight traces of others attempting to pass the levels. He retrieved the monitoring mechanical components to inspect them, discovering that Zhou Zhu and Zheng Jian had begun to cooperate.

“In the short term, they don’t pose a threat.”

“The most crucial is Yuan Dasheng; even Meng Chong is secondary.”

Ning Zhuo continued to clear the levels.

He was now proficient in over twenty kinds of spells, and all were very familiar to him. As long as his spiritual power was abundant, passing these levels was very easy.

After Ning Zhuo could advance no further, he retreated backward.

He retreated all the way to room number eight before stopping and patiently waiting.

Not long after, the door was suddenly pushed open violently, and a huge mechanical ape puppet squeezed in.

“Here it comes.” Ning Zhuo thought to himself, slowly rising and facing the ape.

When their gazes met, Yuan Dasheng immediately realized that the mechanical puppet in front of him was not ordinary.

After examining the puppet Ning Zhuo, Yuan Dasheng scanned the entire area, in addition to the obvious mechanical traps within his memory, he was also guessing the possible hidden mechanical traps.

“It seems, he mistook me for the guardian puppet, just like those kung fu puppets before.” Ning Zhuo nodded inwardly.

This was exactly the result he wanted to create.

In this regard, the leaderboard and his pseudonym played a crucial role, making Yuan Dasheng believe that he was the only one bravely storming the Immortal Palace!

After observing for a while, Yuan Dasheng began to attempt to pass the level.

Ning Zhuo immediately attacked.

Spell – Ice Grasp Technique.

Mechanical Component – Flying Hand.

Spell – Gust of Air.

Mechanical Component – Qi Release Ring.

A mechanical arm swiftly flew towards Yuan Dasheng, a burst of icy cold aura erupting from the palm of its hand.

Originally, the freezing aura only had destructive power upon contact. However, the Qi Release Ring spun to the front, and a Gust of Air was used, blowing the freezing aura outward.

The fan-shaped freezing aura instantly covered the area.

Yuan Dasheng immediately dodged. Although it dodged most of it, a section of its left leg was still covered with a layer of frost.

Ferocious light immediately emerged from Yuan Dasheng’s eyes!

It was the first time it had seen a guardian puppet capable of casting spells.

Without any hesitation, Yuan Dasheng immediately charged, its momentum fierce, quickly approaching Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo lightly leaped, a Gust of Air spell activated, coupled with a pair of Qi Release Rings on his left and right ankles, erupting with propulsive airflow, pushing him backward.

Ning Zhuo quickly created distance.

Moreover, he attacked while retreating.

Over a dozen Flying Hands constantly attacked, Ice Grasp Technique, Fire Grasp Technique, Gold Gathering Technique, Wood Connecting Technique, etc., all became mid-to-long-range attacks with the blessing of Gust of Air.

Yuan Dasheng did its best to shrink its body, using its arms as shields to protect its face, smashing all spells, only charging at Ning Zhuo, ignoring everything else.

Such a tactical choice was absolutely correct!

But it could not salvage its defeat.

After a moment, Yuan Dasheng’s puppet body collapsed, some were burned, some were frozen into ice, some had wood growing wildly, forming huge obstacles…

Before collapsing, Yuan Dasheng raised its head and roared, its roar filled with unwillingness, indignation, and helplessness.

Frustrating, too frustrating.

This was not its true strength at all!

“Blocked it.” Ning Zhuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The arranged mechanical traps were very ineffective against Yuan Dasheng. Only when he personally attacked could he contain the latter’s progress.